Trick Or Treat
by AriMarvelUniverse
Summary: Kiyono has never been trick or treating! Mikey offers to take her out on Halloween for her first time. He promises to keep her safe, but that might be easier said than done with a religious cult stalking the streets for their next nubile young victim.
1. Chapter 1

It gets kinda dark near the middle, and a bit gory, but there are no character deaths and it's not bad. Promise! Some of my other ideas, though...HEHE...aniways, TMNT and Maus don't belong to me. Please read my OC bio for this to make the most sense.)

TMNTMNTMNTMNTMNT

Fall was much better than winter.  
Winter was blisteringly cold, and bitingly unfriendly, enclosing and annoying. Even though Kiyono didn't feel the cold, it still annoyed the hell out of her. Cold meant no trips to her and Leonardo's special rooftop, and an antsy Mikey, and a pissy Raph (Who almost always caught a cold as soon as the wind blew the wrong way). Snow and ice signaled endless days of sitting on her bony rump in front of the television, battling a snotty Raph for the remote and trying her hardest not to freeze the hyperactive orange ninja to the floor. Winter also meant her birthday, an event that she had, on pain of a very agonizing death, forbidden Mikey from ever even mentioning, let alone try to celebrate. Ever.  
Summer was just as bad- if she was nearly impervious to cold, then heat was her kryptonite. Spring was nice enough, but it was marred by the constant sneezing and sucking of the allergy stricken Donatello- Gods above and below forbid he EVER lost his Claritin- as well as increased arguements between the Leader and the hothead over freedom and restrictions.

But Fall...Fall was gorgeous.

She could feel it in the air as soon as her pale purple lids unstuck themselves from her face and allowed her black irises to open, peering out into the familiarly dim early morning shadows of Leonardo's room. There were no windows in the sewers, but she could still feel it- the soothing slide of air perfectly balanced with a touch of heat and cooling relief against her cover sweaty skin. Her shell pink mouth spread into a drowzy grin underneath her tangle of bed-headed black locks, falling loosely down her back and out of the waist length braid she'd tied into it the night before. Her slim fingers crawled up the rough headboard, hooking onto the topmost edge and suspending her upper body over her pillow. Kiyono flexed her back, sighing in satisfaction as her stiff vertebrae cracked and popped. She didn't need to turn her head or open her eyes any further to see the empty impression next to her to confirm that Leonardo was gone, up hours earlier.

Once upon a time, he had tried to get her into the routine of waking with the sun, before she had told him, in the sweetest, quietest way possible, if he ever woke her up before four again, he would be one very lonely turtle. She happily conformed to all of his other policies, rules, and quirks- EXCEPT that one. Peaceful, full sleep had been a rare and fleeting occurence for her growing up- rare meaning it never happened. She'd spent most of her life from ages two to fourteen malnourished, exhausted, and physically and emotionally abused- and she was going to SLEEP as long or as little as she wanted for the rest of it, dammit.

Finished stretching, she rolled onto her side and pushed herself to a sitting position. Small, soft sounds filtered through the half closed door, dishes clattering and voices chattering and laughing. Kiyono tilted her head and swung her legs off the bed, padding into the hallway while tugging on the holey white shorts and blue tank top pajamas she wore. She plodded down the stairs and rounded the corner into the brightly lit kitchen, squinting to let her vision adjust. "Hi."

There were only two turtles in the kitchen. Raphael glanced up from his plate at her entrance and jerked his chin upwards in a quick nod before turning his attention back to his toast. "Hey, Joanie." Michelangelo raised a sea green, three fingered hand and tried to choke down the milky mass of bread, frosting, and sprinkles crammed between his jaws. "HmmphYnuu." Having lived with the Hamato's for a little over a year, Kiyono was used to the orange ninjas eating habits, but still wasn't adept at deciphering his mouth full language. She settled with a wrinkled nose and a flicker of her fingers. She lifted her white mug and a spoon out of the dishrack and turned towards the stove, sniffing the teapot on the burner and smiling as the scent of orange tea hit her nose.

It was her favorite kind- Leo had obviously set it out for her. He was so incredible.  
She picked it up delicately and poured a measured amount of the steaming liquid, then grabbed a tube of chili powder from the spice rack and flipped the cap open with her fingernail, dumping a large amount into her cup and staring at the pan of eggs on the burner in distaste. She wasn't hungry, because she was never hungry in the mornings, but Donatello would have her head if she didn't eat. She rolled her eyes, imagining the nagging she'd get about 'Healthy eating habits' and 'Ideal weight recovery.' Kiyono stirred and sipped the sweetly spiced mixture in her mug and leaned against the counter silently, feeling it course through her veins and warm her up. By this time, Mikey had swallowed his three poptarts and regained the ability to speak.

"Yono, do you have to work today?" he asked hopefully, grabbing for another silver package and ripping it open. Kiyono tilted her head and thought for a moment, then shook it. "No, I don't." Just for something to do, she had asked Leonardo a few weeks ago could she get a job at a tiny café called the Coffee bean. After a few days of pleading and SLIGHT manipulation, he had relented and let her get a part time shift, three days a week for a few hours in the evenings. Donatello had backed her up, saying that it was a good social experience, but everyone suspected that he just enjoyed the free lattes she brought home.

Mikey's electric blue eyes lit up with excitement. "Cool! That means that you can come with Mausy and me tonight!" Kiyono blinked and opened her mouth to ask him what he was talking about, but the sound of more footsteps entering the room cut her off. She turned to see an exhausted looking Donatello pad into the kitchen, with a sleepy and equally bed headed Maus on his shell. She smiled, a brief flash of small white teeth, and raised her spoon in greeting to her second real friend. "Hi." The hegdehog leaped gracefully off of the genius and landed on all fours on the floor, stretching herself in a feline movement before standing and shaking out her mess of caramel colored curls and spines, letting out a squeaky yawn. "Hey." she responded slowly, misty silver irises sticky and bleary.

"I didn't know you stayed after the movie."

"I didn't mean to." Maus explained, snagging a banana from a bowl and peeling it as though she were dissecting something alive. "I fell asleep, and the next thing I know, I'm here and it's way too early to be getting up." Her ears drooped slightly with tiredness. Kiyono shook her head and grinned. "You never make it to the ends." That brought a small grimace to Maus' pointed muzzle. "Yeah, well. At least I got past the first five minutes of Exorcist." Kiyono gave a shiver and took a large gulp of her drink. "I hate that horror crap. And I thank YOU-" she growled, twisting around to glower at the red masked ninja, "for putting it in." Raph smirked and flashed her a thumbs up. "No prob. Figured ya'd like that one. Way better than that StarJourney mess." Kiyono simply gave another eyeroll at his obvious mangling of the name and turned her dark eyes to Donnie, or "Mister Maus" as Mikey referred to him behind his back. "Hello." The Bo wielder gave a friendly nod in return, eying the pan that she was subtly trying to hide from view with his sharp hazel gaze. "Did you eat?"

Gulp. No. "Yes."

"No she ain't." Raph cut in, immediately calling her on her lie like it was his job. "She aint even touch that stuff. Stared at it like it had eyes or something." He ignored the hiss he received. Donatello fixed Kiyono with a piercing stare and shook his head slowly. "Kiyono. How many times do we have to talk about this? You are malnourished and way below the level of nutrition that a 16 year old girl should be. Add that to your natural slimness and the fact that those energies steal nutrients from your body constantly, you should be-"

"I KNOW, Donatello. But I'm not hungry in the mornings." she argued, staring down into her mug sourly. "And Maus barely eats either." Said hedgehog simply raised the nibbled banana in her hand and smiled sweetly. "It's the most important meal of the da-ay." she sang, happy that her super intelligent boyfriend was off her back that morning. Donatello scowled at the pale girl and moved to retrieve his purple mug from the sink. "What if I tell Leo that you're still not eating like I told you?" Kiyono tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and slumped backwards. "He wouldn't force me to-"

"He would and you know it." He interrupted, wrapping an arm around Maus and crossing his ankles. "You have to eat, and that's the end of it, please. Doctor's orders." He smiled at her to show that all was still well, then proceeded to take a swig of coffee from his cup. "Thanks for the backup." she mumbled halfheartedly at Maus, who shrugged and leaned into Donatello's side. "It's too early for backup. Check with me later." Kiyono shook her head, not managing to completely stop the smile spreading across her face. She picked up her mug and slipped past them, headed into the living room. A blue tatami mat was set up in the corner, on which the love of her life was doing a set of pushups. Leonardo didn't even look up as she entered, but greeted her all the same. "Hello, Sakura." With a tiny, pleased shiver, she perched herself on his glossy brown shell and crossed her legs, knowing that the addition of her small weight wouldn't disrupt him. "Hello. Thank you for letting me sleep."

"I figured you'd earned it. Your hand to hand is improving with each session." he said, continuing to rise and fall in a measured pace. "Thank you." she grinned, sipping on her tea and tracing the geometric designs on his carapace with one finger. "And thank you for the tea, too- It's really good."

"It's no problem- you know that. I suppose you added the appropriate spice?" he asked wryly, earning himself a feather light thump to the back of his head. "Yes, I did. And by the way, Donnie is bugging me about food again. Please tell him to stop."

This did cause him to stop. "You have to eat, Kiyono, and not just once or twice." he reminded her, suspending himself above the floor. She groaned and huffed quietly. "Fine. But if I throw up again, it will be your fault." Leonardo winced and shook his head at the memory of that night- Mexican food definitely did NOT look good the second time around. "I can live with that, if it means you won't drop from malnutrition one of these days." He stilled again, giving her time to climb off before he righted himself. "You don't have to work today, right?" She shook her head and drank the last of her tea. "No. Minnie gave us the evenings off for some reason." Leonardo nodded thoughtfully and wrapped her in a strong embrace, pressing his lips to her forehead and drawing another shiver from her. "Would you like to go to the rooftops later?" She leaned into the hollow of his neck and closed her eyes, enjoying being close to him. "Of course, silly ninja."

Before he could answer, Mikey sauntered out of the kitchen and dropped himself onto the couch, staring at them, or rather Leo, intently. "Weeeelll?" he asked, ignoring the matching brown and black glares he received. "Didja tell her?" Kiyono felt Leonardo's chest rise and fall in a sigh, and his chin came to rest on her head. "Mikey, please not now." Mikey shook his head and threw his hands up in the air, shaking his fists. "Do I have to to do EVERYTHING around here?" He dropped his hands and grinned sneakily, blue eyes dancing. "Yono, do you know what today is?" Puzzled beyond belief, Kiyono shook her head nervously. She had just started learning holidays and special occasions...was it the day Master Splinter died? Or maybe his birthday?

"Umm..."

"HALLOWEEN! Dudette, it's Halloween! The day for pumpkins and free candy!" he broke in excitedly. Kiyono smiled in relief and shrugged softly. "And?" Mikey's smile dropped like melting ice cream on a sidewalk, and he stared at her with his mouth agape. "Yono...you've never been trick or treating, have you? You don't know how mindbendingly awesome it is?" he said sadly, looking at her as though she hadn't really been living.


	2. Chapter 2

The pity in his gaze made her feel suddenly self conscious. A slight flush crept over her neck and up her ears, and she looked away from him for a second, shaking her head. She hadn't celebrated anything with her former family- the only reason she knew what day her birthday was on was because she had overheard Bishop talking with his assistants, and because the Bondings always occurred on the same day each year. She still didn't understand the point of Thanksgiving, Shamrock Day, and Labor Day; Christmas was nice although the concept creeped her out ever so slightly. She and Maus both loved Valentines Day- Donnie and Leo acted like complete sweetie pies all day, going out of their way to pay attention to them and give them random gifts. Halloween, though…  
Kiyono could see why Mikey would love it, if people willingly gave him free candy for no reason. It must've been his favorite day of the year. She didn't see what that meant for her, though.

"Okay, and…you want me to say what, exactly?" she asked, eying him suspiciously. Mikey's grin widened into what he thought was a winning smile. "I WANT you to say that you'll come uptop with Mausy and me and go trick or treating for candy tonight!" By the time he hit 'uptop', she was already shaking her head. "No. No, and no. Uptop means stress, stares, and annoying people, and…uh-uh." She squared her thin shoulders and set her face as best as she could. "Besides, I don't even know what that IS." Leo was a still, silent rock behind her, waiting out the conversation.  
Mikey groaned and leaned closer to her, drawing an immediate withdrawal. "But that's what it's all about! You get to dress up- or not, if you're a giant turtle," he snickered, "and you just go around to people's houses and say two little words, and whammo! Candy for days." Seeing her neutral face, he added slyly, "Oh, yeah…that includes Red Hots…and Hot Tamales." Kiyono's eyes widened slightly, glimmering at the mention of her absolute favorite candies. "R-really?" she muttered, before she could stop herself. Mikey leaned in closer, smelling victory. "Yeah. Boxes and boxes of the spiciest candy known to humanity…and you don't have to pay for anything."

If Mikey smelled victory, Leo smelled impending doom. He leaned his mouth back down to her ear and rubbed her shoulder gently, injecting a note of hurt into his tone. "Kiyono, I thought we were supposed to go somewhere tonight…" She blinked and inhaled slightly, shaking herself. "Right. Yes. Sorry, Mikey, but no." Mikey crossed his arms and pouted deeply. "Leo, you guys go to the rooftops almost every night when it's hot. She's never done it before. It's not fair! You can go another night."

Unseen by Kiyono, Leo's eyes narrowed, and his arms tightened a small degree. "There's also the safety issue, Mikey. The city will be packed, people everywhere…not saying that you don't have control, Yono," he said quickly, "but that's just inviting trouble. And it increases the risk of you being re-discovered by the Foot. It's dangerous. And I don't remember telling Maus she could leave, either." At the mention of her name, the tips of Maus' ears could be seen drooping over the eave of the island in the kitchen, slightly red.

"But she'll be dressed up! She could be anybody. And Mausy and me'll be there, too."  
"Mikey, that just sounds like an excuse for April to dress me up like a giant paper doll- AGAIN." Kiyono said in exasperation. Mikey dropped down to his knees and clasped his hands together, squeezing his eyes closed and twisting his face up. "Please, please, PLEASE, Yono! Just for, like, a hour! Less! Just so she can see what it's like! It'll be fun, I promise. Yono, if you don't like it, I'll never ask you to celebrate anything ever again."  
Memories of botched holidays ran through her mind- her near panic attack at the Fourth of July firework party, her almost being ran over at the Memorial Day parade…all things Mikey forced her to do. If she went to this, he'd leave her alone so she could recognize Christmas and Valentines, and be done with it.

She sighed and shot him a half glare, then turned her head and met Leo's brown eyes, already fidgeting with guilt. "He won't leave me alone until I say yes. I'll be fine- Maus and I can do the energy exchange before we leave- it should keep the energies from messing with me. I won't attack anyone's child. An hour, hour and a half at most, and then we can leave for the roofs." she promised, an almost pleading look in her face. Leo was silent for a while, then closed his eyes and relented. "An hour. Hour and a half at most. And you're taking my shell cell." She smiled brightly and leaned in close to kiss him, getting an almost smile. "Okay." Mikey whooped and jumped up off the floor, waving his arms in triumph. "Yesss!"

***  
"Hmmmm…." April O'Neil's green orbs were narrowed slightly, lips pursed in concentration. Kiyono crossed her arms over her chest and scowled back with an icy black glare that had drawn shivers from Raphael, but seemed to have no effect on the redhead in front of her. "Halloween, huh? There's so many possibilities…" She twirled her instruments of torture in her hand- a pink flat iron and a mascara wand- and a makeup bag was slung over her shoulder. Kiyono crossed her ankles and rubbed at the pressure in her head, cursing Mikey mentally with everything she had. "Please, April, don't go overboard. It's only for an hour. Can't you do Maus first?" Maus was lounging on the counter of April's bathroom, hands behind her head and leg swinging casually. "I'm going last. I'm gonna go as Nala from that movie about the lions." She grinned. "Low maintenance, and less time getting tortured." Kiyono groaned and started to respond, but April suddenly lunged and forced her into the padded stylist chair. "We're not going for scary…cute beats scary for candy amount. So no ghost or vampire…that WOULD be kinda sexy, though, but it's so played out…I've got it! You're going as a Geisha Girl. I'm a genius! Emily, plug this up for me. Kiyono, WHY does your hair always wave up like this? It's so thick…it's gonna take me forever to straighten it. This is going to look amazing!" she gushed, lifting a handful of her black hair and clamping it between the heated plates of the flat iron.

***  
Around two hours later, Kiyono did indeed look like a Geisha maiden. Every tiny wave had been viciously straightened out of her hair, making it shine and stream past her waist in a bouncy sheet. Her bang had been taken out as well, leaving her forehead and eyes clear. The marks on her neck and hands had been covered by a white powder, as well as her face. A red stripe was painted down the center of her lips, and spots of pink blush adorned her cheekbones. "Almost done with the makeup part." April assured her, tucking a pair of chopsticks under the hair at the crown of her head. "You look awesome! Not to pat myself on the back…" she smirked. Kiyono rolled her eyes as April swiped clear mascara on her lashes, increasing their natural thickness to impossible levels. "Yes, because you're definitely not doing that." she ribbed, resisting the urge to rub her sore scalp. Another pair of chopsticks held her hair up into a high bun, and April was finally, mercifully, done.

"You look nice- bet ya Leo'll like it." Maus commented. Her costume had taken the least time- a handful of curling gel in her caramel hair to make it even more like a lion's mane, and a dusting of bronzing powder on her face, arms and ears to turn the fuzz there from grey to tan, and black nail polish on her nails, and she was done. The Hamato's themselves were in the front room, waiting patiently (except for for maybe one red masked turtle) for them to return. "I guess. Can I get dressed now, April?" she asked. April wiped her forehead and nodded, looking extremely pleased with herself.

"Yup. You're clothes are in my room. Kimono's yours, Yono- and the shirt and pants and for you, Emily." Both girls walked out of the bathroom and into her room, moving slowly lest they mess up April's work. Kiyono slipped into a slim fitting white and black Kimono that somehow managed to look modern, and Maus put on her designated clothes- a stylishly ripped and slashed tan shirt and leopard printed skinny jeans. "You look so cool." Kiyono said, struggling to keep the envy out of her voice. "April stuck me with the old fashioned costume." Maus shrugged and rolled the compliment away. "Nah, we both look fine. It doesn't even matter-we get candy either way. C'mon, let's go show the boys."

When they stepped into the living room, Mikey rolled his eyes and wolf whistled loudly, causing them both to blush. Raph smirked and leaned forward. "Mausy's got that jungle fever." he joked. Donatello nodded approvingly and pretended to clean his invisible glasses, eyes wide, and a warm smile lingered at the corners of Leo's mouth. As Kiyono drew nearer, he stood and stooped in a mock bow. "Konichiwa, beautiful maiden." he whispered. "You like it?" she laughed. He lifted her chin up gently and met her gaze, his smoldering eyes saying everything and making her heart stammer. "Maybe this isn't such a bad idea."

"Leonardo Hamato, if you kiss her and mess up my makeup, this house will become the scene of a terribly horrific and tragic murder." April growled threateningly as she stepped forward, blocking him from her with her slight body. "No smooching until after she goes out and shows the world my brilliance. That goes for you, too, brain-boy- no touching the hedgie." she shot at Donatello. Both turtles stepped back, hands raised in defense. "What are you going as, Mikey?" Kiyono asked, seeing that he hadn't done a thing. He laughed and gestured at himself. "My costume's the best. I'm gonna go as the fabulous, extra-sexy, handsome-to-death, charismatic and awesome as shell Michelangelo Hamato!" The room gave a collective groan, and the multiple eye-rolling was almost audible. "We're probably just going to watch slasher movies here and eat pizza until you come back." Leo explained, stretching his lean forest green frame out on the couch. Kiyono had the urge to wipe her face and drop down next to him. "Alright."

"Do you have my shell cell?'  
"Yes."  
"Maus, do you have yours?"  
"No duh, Leo."  
"Jacket, Kiyono?"  
"I don't get cold!"  
"Maus and Mikey, do you have your weap-"

"Damn, Leo, they're gonna run outta candy by the time ya let 'em leave!" Raph cut in. "And ya better share it, too." he rumbled, slouching back into the cushions. Maus grinned and gave Leo a sideways hug. "We'll be fine, Fearless. Don't give yourself an aneurism. Save some pizza for us." Mikey jumped up, blue eyes twinkling happily, a pillowcase swinging from his belt and two large shopping bags hanging from his fingers. "Lezzgo! Before all the king sizes are gone!" April suddenly jumped up, screeching and waving a Polaroid. "Wait! I want a picture!" Kiyono almost whined, but she stood still and endured the embarrassment of April and her insane picture snapping.

"Kiyono, just…be careful. Stay calm, alright? Don't get agitated." Leo added finally, a concerned look on his features. He secretly prayed to his Sensei that everything would be alright…it wasn't like he didn't have a reason to worry. He had a very big, very constant reason to worry. When the door closed behind them, he sighed and turned on the T.V, which happened to be on the news station. "…And we'd like to say Happy Halloween to all our listeners! Have a safe, fun time out there. Up next, the story of the unsolved case of the Shadow Murderer, a killer who raped and slaughtered three young girls last Halloween and is still at large…" Leonardo's face paled behind his cobalt mask, and his thumb was a blur as he flipped channels and settled on a zombie movie...where two pretty girls, a brunette and an asian, were being ripped apart by a mob of the undead.


	3. Chapter 3

"…and as of today, the case is still cold in regards to the identity and the motive of the Shadow Killer…"

The T.V screen was flickering badly underneath a twisted antenna, and the sound filtered in and out, mixed with static, but the light from the broadcast was reflected brightly in the multitude of gaunt, bruise ringed eyes of the ragged and filthy teenagers sitting in a semi-circle around the small set. The wind whistled through the skeletal bars and support beams of the abandoned apartment complex where they sheltered, bringing with it the scent of moist leaves and giggling children in the streets below. The teenagers sat cross legged, all dressed in dark clothing, and absolutely riveted on the screen. Instead of staring with pity, or horror, or sadness, they all bore expressions of admiration, excitement, and pride.

"…the investigation began with the discovery of the first body, that of Annalise Jones, in a residential suburb last Halloween night. The girl had been robbed of her clothes and violated, and tucked into a white robe adorned with several holy symbols. The second body was identified as Erin McCauley, and the third was Sofia Douglass. Each girl was found in the same condition and neighborhood…their families were extremely distraught over the losses of such bright, exemplary young girls. All three teenagers were straight A students and deeply involved in their communities..."

One of the teen boys watching the broadcast suddenly giggled, high and squeaky, rubbing a large cross necklace hanging around his neck. "I remember her…the Douglass girl. She was such a SLUT." he sneered. "Such a little whore. She went to my high school…good little Catholic girl, dirty as a shovel. Everybody thought she was a SAINT." He flipped his long white-blonde hair out of his face and shifted erratically, wiggling incessantly like a small child.

"Shut your nasty mouth, Isaiah!" one of the girls snapped, grasping for her own cross. "That language is offensive and unholy…just like those girls. We should take pity on them and their unclean souls." Another girl with limp red waves caked with dirt nodded slowly, interlocking her fingers. "And we have. Through blood and redemption, we have shown them the way of God, as we were shown." The other teenagers made noises of agreement and refocused on the program.

Footsteps sounded on the concrete floor, causing each of the twelve or so children to instantly fall silent. As one, they clasped their hands together in a respectful manner and bowed low over their knees, dipping their heads down and exposing the backs of their necks. "Teacher." the redhead sighed in relief, a smile curling over her split lips. The whisper was echoed by the other teens, reverent and hushed. A shadow fell over them, momentarily blocking the light from the T.V. A dark, burly man, clad in a gaudy white suit so clean and bright it seemed to glow in comparison to the grime and darkness surrounding him, moved himself without hesitation into the middle of the  
semi-circle. Dark sunglasses covered his eyes, although there was no sun to blind him, and a cross even larger than the ones worn by the teenagers rested on his wide chest, encrusted with jewels. His swarthy skin was almost lost in the nearly light-less space. The man's mouth was a thin, cruel line, and he did not smile as he looked out over the teenagers. His voice slithered into the air, oily and slick like the underbelly of a snake. "My students...My disciples. What, in the name of our Holy Saviour, are you doing?" One of the girls shivered and leaned forward slightly, clawing her matted dark curls out of her face with long, chewed fingernails. "We were just watching tv, Father. The news reporters are doing a segment on our cleansing last year."

The man nodded slowly, standing as still as a granite statute. "I see. And an excellent choice in entertainment." The girl smiled, and he continued. "You all seem to remember our duties, this night. Our personal and benevolent mission, soon to be repeated?" All of the teens nodded enthusiastically. "Then tell me again...why do we do what we do?"

Isaiah suddenly spoke up, waving his hand frantically. "In the service of our Lord, we seek out those who worship Him under false pretense. Those with evil and adultery in their hearts, those who walk with the Devil on Lucifer's night. We cleanse them...we purify their bodies and their souls, and then release them into the arms of our Lord." The other children applauded his explanation, some even holding up their hands and shaking their heads. The stoic man raised his hand for silence, then held it out in Isaiah's direction. "Hear your brother, for he speaks the truth. We are soldiers of God, true and faithful. You have each been enlightened in your early ages to the corruption in your past lives. You were once sons and daughters of the wealthy, the greedy, the privileged. Ignorant lambs, blind to the wolves in the darkness. But now...you have escaped the darkness, and found each other. You have found ME. And you have found salvation. Reborn, renamed,  
and saved through suffering and hardship."

The collection of runways hung on the man's every word. He continued, picking up speed and feeling as he went along, as if preaching a sermon in a church. "But what of the others? Your peers and classmates, who are still prisoners to the Devil's influence? They cannot escape as you have. They require Devine assistance, which we will provide. Through the blood of the guilty, we show them the error of their ways, and esponge their sins. In young girls, promiscuity will be erased and forgiven on this evil night, in ultimate defiance of the Anti-Christ. They will lay with Holy Servants, and be delivered into Paradise. Isaiah, Abraham." Two boys stood- the blonde with the manic gleam in his eye and a tall African American boy with closely shaved dark hair. They were nearly vibrating with excitement. "You shall be our Lords representatives this night. Seek out the Devil's lambs, and purify them as you predecessors did the year before." Both boys bowed at the  
waist, muttering incoherently. They moved past the man and towards the rotten door, headed for the city below. "Naomi, Sarah. Go with them, to perform the Holy rites."

The redhead and a skinny girl with two long brown pigtails each rose, clutching ceremonial daggers with the hilts wrapped in rosary beads. Giggling silently, they followed the boys. The man watched them go, his face as solemn as ever. "Pray for their success and safe return, my disciples." The rest of the teens immediately dropped their heads and began whispering to themselves. One girl that looked a little younger than the rest hesitated slightly, raising her neck and biting her lip. She wasn't quite as dirty or unkempt as the others...She hadn't been a part of the cult for more than two weeks. "F-Father?" she stammered. "The reporters...they c-call us...murderers. R-rapists. I don't know if..." Another boy interrupted her, sneering cruelly. "She's scared. She's not a true believer, Father. She knew that Erin girl...and they were BEST FRIENDS. Right, ELLIE?" The girl flinched. "Th-that is NOT m-my name, anymore...m-my name is Mary."

"Silence, Solomon." The large man stepped forward slowly, until he was right in front of the young girl. He reached down and cupped her face in his large hands, squeezing her temples firmly with his fingers until her eyes watered. "You possess misgivings about our mission, little one?" he asked, voice soft and dangerous. Ellie-Mary shook her head swiftly, tears streaming down her cheeks. "N-no...No, Father!" The man flung her head away from him with a grunt, then straightened up and put his fist through the tv screen. "Our work is sanctioned by the Holy Father. Earthly titles given by weak minded infidels do not matter...we will be rewarded in the Heavenly Kingdom. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Father."

***

"Tammy, come on already! Josh's party started like half an hour ago." "Shut the hell UP, Vi. Almost done." Tammy Kramer tied the last string on her pale blue corset and stepped into her white heels, congratulating herself on being able to sneak the outfit past her mom the week before. The tight fabric added mega curves to her body, and showed a pretty nice amount of chest area. She was going for "sexy angel" this Halloween...but the candy SHE was trick or treating for wasn't the traditional kind. She popped her sparkly blue lips and whirled out of the bathroom, stopping and striking a pose in front of her new best friend Violet Mercer. "Watcha think?" She asked, wriggling suggestively and running one last hand through her neon blue streaked blonde bob. The pink haired pirate girl known as Violet nodded approvingly. "Hot. Colby'll be all over you. Brendan, too." Tammy chuckled and grabbed her tiny bag, which looked big enough for maybe three candy bars.  
"And won't Ashlyn just LOVE that. Come on, let's get going. Don't want all the 'punch' to be gone."

***

Michelangelo was loving live at the moment. He was fearless in his truck or treating- waltzing right up to people's doors and brazenly asking for candy. People oohed and ahhed over his 'costume', one woman even going so far as to ask to hold his nunchucks to see if they were authentic.  
Attention, praise, and sugar...all rolled into one. Best. Day. EVER!  
"Man...the others don't know what they're missing!" he laughed, holding up his already bulging bag like a trophy. "I think I'm gonna max out this year!" Halloween was just so awesome. Maus smiled sweetly and patted his arm. "Ya know Raph is gonna raid your stash as soon as you get back, right?" Mikey rolled his eyes and stuck his tounge out at her. "Nu-uh. I got a special bag, just for Raph and his sticky fingers." A second pillowcase, identical to the one in his hand, was strapped to his belt, chock full of the reject candy like gumballs, licorice, peppermint, and Smarties. "I'm keeping my goodies this year." Maus snorted and high fived him. "Yup, you're a genius, Mikey." They were trekking through one of the wealthier suburbs in the area, a good five miles outward from April's apartment. The parents were loaded and friendly, the houses were huge, and the candy was enormous. King-sized king sizes all night. Oh yeah.

"You alright back there, Yono?" Mikey called out over his shoulder. "You're kinda quiet...not that that's unusual." Kiyono scrunched up her nose at him and grinned, deftly sidestepping a spazzing little kid dressed like a cowboy. "I'm fine. And I admit it...this is actually kind of fun." Mikey nodded stopped suddenly, clapping his hands together and making his voice go funny and deep. "Learn to trust your bro, you must, dudette, for he will provide you with chewy goodness galore." Maus laughed and shook her head, making her curls bounce. "Mikey, you're a nut."

"Why thank you, my hedge-sissy." He replied, crossing his glittering blue eyes. "Come on, guys. We got two more blocks to go in this neighborhood."

***

Tammy kicked weakly and tried to scream past the dirty velvet sash in her mouth, writhing in fear and pain against the tall, dark skinned boy pressing her into the ground. He held her in a crushing bear hug, and every time he moved, an awful, tearing agony ripped through her stomach and in between her thighs. A quick slash of the knife he'd held against her throat had destroyed her costume. He grunted bible passages as he abused her, heedless of the rivers of tears that fell down her face and into her hair, as well as the shiny red blood staining the concrete beneath them and the audience of three other teens that watched from the shadows.  
When it was done, he stood and stared down at her as the girls began to chant and sing in Hebrew, waving their knives over her face and body. One of them removed her gag, and she gasped and coughed and begged them to stop.  
"Please...Don't...do this...stop it..."  
"Oh, Our Lord in Heaven, Hallowed be thy name..."  
"Please...I'll do anything...please stop..."  
"To forgive this wretched soul...and cleanse her...with blood...and pain...repent..."  
Tammy watched the edge of the blade glimmer as it was brought closer and closer to her face. The first cut made her scream, splitting her from eyebrow to chin, and she didn't stop yelling until her jugular was slashed open and the light faded from her pale blue eyes. Abraham straightened his clothes and stepped back from her leaking body, allowing the girls to bless and robe her. Pleasure hazed his dark brown eyes, and he kissed his cross twice. as he tucked himself away. "Praise...God..."  
Isaiah stared down at her sliced corpse, his smile never having left his face. "Good show. Next one's mine."


End file.
